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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: nail · wind · rash · jam · land · patient · stand · craft

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. land — ground
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. rash — a series
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. rash — hasty
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. land — a country
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. stand — to bear
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. wind — moving air
  18. land — to come down
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wind — moving air
  21. craft — a skill
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. craft — boats
  24. patient — calm and waiting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com